Publisher's Synopsis
The evacuation was the biggest social upheaval in British history. Portrayed by the government as a positive by-product of the Second World War, civilian evacuation formed an essential part of Britain's civil defence strategy. In a single stroke children were uprooted from their close knit family communities and replanted in unfamiliar and sometimes hostile surroundings. This totally haphazard mingling of social classes had profound and long lasting effects on British society. Education, health, welfare, religion and social policy were all re-evaluated in the light of evacuation. From a government standpoint, evacuation was an exercise in military logistics, for those who took part however; it was a life changing experience. Furthermore there was no typical evacuee experience, only a shared sense of alienation in the face of adversity. Some evacuees were lucky enough to have positive and uplifting encounters, while others less fortunate suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse. This book is a study of the formation and implementation of official policy towards British children, and particularly evacuees during the Second World War. The book not only aims to shed light on the r
